Rosatom to increase oversight over new icebreaker construction schedule

"We'll review this issue regularly. We agreed to come back in late September," Mr Likhachev added.

According to TASS, citing Alexei Likhachev, meetings on construction schedules need to occur regularly; the contractors will be inspected at every intermediate step.

A Rosatom spokesperson said the United Shipbuilding Corporation had requested putting off the scheduled launch of the Arktika from 2017 to a later date. Rosatom believes the delay will not result in any problems with shipping on the Northern Sea Route. The Kremlin does not believe the delay would be critical, either.

According to TASS, Mr Likhachev held several meetings on the construction of the three new Project 22220 ships, which includes the Arktika icebreaker.

"Our main goal is to prepare for the new commissioning deadline of these multifunctional nuclear icebreakers. The deadlines are based on the presidential instruction to put the lead ship, the Arktika, into service by May 2019, with the other two to sail in the autumn of 2020 and 2021, accordingly," said Mr Likhachev.